To explore this MOC architectural model, let’s dive into the intricate design choices and architectural significance of recreating the King West Condos project—Bjarke Ingels' groundbreaking Toronto development—through Lego. In this project, I used 2,390 LEGO pieces, which captured the unique architectural spirit and technical challenges Ingels faced, giving us a glimpse into the vision behind King Toronto Condos. Here’s a look at how these elements might be imagined in Lego form, along with the challenges and creativity involved in realizing this urban mountain in miniature.
1. Mastering the Grid and Orientation
The King Toronto Condos is designed with a twist: a 45-degree grid system, which helps open up views and expands the space within each unit. Translating this into Lego form demands a typical rectangular stacking of bricks and a slight rotation to reflect this unique grid layout. Imagine building the condo like a checkerboard tilted on its side—every Lego brick and window is positioned to let in natural light and maximize the views, just as the real building is structured to catch Toronto’s sunlight. The Lego bricks align at an angle, emulating the innovative orientation Ingels used to ensure every resident has both privacy and views.
The King Toronto Condos is designed with a twist: a 45-degree grid system, which helps open up views and expands the space within each unit. Translating this into Lego form demands a typical rectangular stacking of bricks and a slight rotation to reflect this unique grid layout. Imagine building the condo like a checkerboard tilted on its side—every Lego brick and window is positioned to let in natural light and maximize the views, just as the real building is structured to catch Toronto’s sunlight. The Lego bricks align at an angle, emulating the innovative orientation Ingels used to ensure every resident has both privacy and views.
2. Creating Peaks and Valleys with Bricks
King Toronto Condos' roof undulates with peaks and valleys, maximizing daylight access and creating a striking skyline silhouette. This Lego model, too, recreates these mountainous forms with stacks and slopes. Picture the roof as a Lego “mountain range” crafted from brick peaks, representing the highest points of the condo units. These peaks aren’t just for show; they’re carefully placed to replicate the angular, uneven structure Ingels designed, providing natural light into every corner.
King Toronto Condos' roof undulates with peaks and valleys, maximizing daylight access and creating a striking skyline silhouette. This Lego model, too, recreates these mountainous forms with stacks and slopes. Picture the roof as a Lego “mountain range” crafted from brick peaks, representing the highest points of the condo units. These peaks aren’t just for show; they’re carefully placed to replicate the angular, uneven structure Ingels designed, providing natural light into every corner.
3. Using Color and Transparency for Effect
Level 1 is a work of color play and light manipulation, achieved with red, yellow, and glass bricks. Each color represents a real material Ingels used to differentiate and enhance the building’s character. Transparent bricks emulate the condo’s glass walls, allowing light to pass through and creating a sparkling, refracting effect during the day. At night, these glass bricks could “glow” if you imagine placing LED lights behind them, recreating the way the condo comes to life after dark. This captures the condo’s “glacial lightness,” like a softly illuminated iceberg in Toronto’s cityscape.
Level 1 is a work of color play and light manipulation, achieved with red, yellow, and glass bricks. Each color represents a real material Ingels used to differentiate and enhance the building’s character. Transparent bricks emulate the condo’s glass walls, allowing light to pass through and creating a sparkling, refracting effect during the day. At night, these glass bricks could “glow” if you imagine placing LED lights behind them, recreating the way the condo comes to life after dark. This captures the condo’s “glacial lightness,” like a softly illuminated iceberg in Toronto’s cityscape.
4. Imagining Life in the Miniature Model
As you visualize walking through the Lego model, imagine yourself in the family-friendly, modern oasis Ingels dreamed up. Just like in the real condos, the model’s carefully positioned windows and open spaces create a sense of openness and freedom in each tiny “room.” Using Lego to recreate the sense of “interior life” also means adding small details, like tiny furniture pieces or garden spaces, in the communal areas, giving the model a sense of lived-in warmth and inviting imagination to flourish.
As you visualize walking through the Lego model, imagine yourself in the family-friendly, modern oasis Ingels dreamed up. Just like in the real condos, the model’s carefully positioned windows and open spaces create a sense of openness and freedom in each tiny “room.” Using Lego to recreate the sense of “interior life” also means adding small details, like tiny furniture pieces or garden spaces, in the communal areas, giving the model a sense of lived-in warmth and inviting imagination to flourish.
5. Challenges in Lego: Translating Complex Design Principles
Constructing King Toronto Condos in Lego bricks pushes the limits of the medium. The 45-degree grid challenges the typical linear stacking method, demanding precise planning to align every angle and layer. Moreover, mixing traditional opaque bricks with transparent ones mirrors the use of glass walls in the building, giving the model a play of light similar to the real building's aesthetic. Each component—from peaks to the base grid—requires thoughtful brick selection and careful layering to bring out the condo’s dynamic form.
Constructing King Toronto Condos in Lego bricks pushes the limits of the medium. The 45-degree grid challenges the typical linear stacking method, demanding precise planning to align every angle and layer. Moreover, mixing traditional opaque bricks with transparent ones mirrors the use of glass walls in the building, giving the model a play of light similar to the real building's aesthetic. Each component—from peaks to the base grid—requires thoughtful brick selection and careful layering to bring out the condo’s dynamic form.
6. Reflection on the Concept: Building an Urban “Mountain” with Lego
Ingels describes the condo as an urban mountain, a form that reshapes the skyline and redefines city living. This Lego model does the same but in miniature: it challenges us to think about space, light, and life within a limited framework. This MOC model was designed in the HA Studio (BOI Design Studio), and serves as a physical and imaginative bridge, giving life to what might otherwise be an abstract concept of architectural innovation. By constructing this Lego model, we get a hands-on experience of the ideas behind King Toronto Condos, from its openness and interconnection with the city to its peaks and light-enhancing structure.
Ingels describes the condo as an urban mountain, a form that reshapes the skyline and redefines city living. This Lego model does the same but in miniature: it challenges us to think about space, light, and life within a limited framework. This MOC model was designed in the HA Studio (BOI Design Studio), and serves as a physical and imaginative bridge, giving life to what might otherwise be an abstract concept of architectural innovation. By constructing this Lego model, we get a hands-on experience of the ideas behind King Toronto Condos, from its openness and interconnection with the city to its peaks and light-enhancing structure.
